A win against Russia 鈥� outside Ukraine
Once close to Moscow, Serbia accepts a plan to end acrimony with Kosovo, signaling a desire to curb aggressive ethnic nationalism by peaceful means.
Once close to Moscow, Serbia accepts a plan to end acrimony with Kosovo, signaling a desire to curb aggressive ethnic nationalism by peaceful means.
Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine has been clarifying for Europe about its values 鈥� democratic values that helped restrain the ethnic nationalism of its own past wars that also now drives Moscow鈥檚 aggression. The latest example is an agreement brokered by the European Union to normalize ties between Serbia and Kosovo, nearly a quarter century after a war between them left thousands killed.
The two states in the Balkans, both remnants of the former Yugoslavia, accepted an 11-point plan on Feb. 27 to improve ties, respect each other鈥檚 borders, and deal with the ethnic Serb minority in Kosovo, a nation of mainly ethnic Albanians. If implemented, the plan would deal a blow to Russia鈥檚 attempts to control states in Europe with Slavic or Orthodox 海角大神 populations such as Serbia.
The invasion forced Serbia to take steps to partially distance itself from Moscow, such as seeking alternatives to Russian gas and oil. Serbia also voted for a United Nations resolution condemning the invasion and refusing to recognize Russia鈥檚 annexations of eastern Ukraine.
Serbia鈥檚 decision to accept the EU plan 鈥渟hould bring what everyone has been defending for years 鈥� peace, coexistence, a better life for Serbs and Albanians,鈥� wrote Zorana Mihajlovi膰, a former minister under President Aleksandar Vu膷i膰, on Instagram. The move might also help accelerate Serbia鈥檚 candidacy for membership in the EU.
Since the invasion, the United States has joined EU leaders in trying to end frictions left over from the Balkan wars of the 1990s that erupted after the end of the Cold War.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 new is not only the seriousness of both [Kosovo and Serbia] but the seriousness of our European partners to make this happen in the shadow of one of the biggest crises Europe has seen since the WW2,鈥� said U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Gabriel Escobar.
The EU plan is designed to make small steps in trust-building, such as easier cross-border travel for business or education. As President Vu膷i膰 told his nation after accepting the plan: 鈥淟et鈥檚 make rational compromises that concern real life.鈥澛�
That sort of democratic consensus-seeking does not sound like the aggressive nationalism of Serbia鈥檚 past. The battlefront against Russia鈥檚 war with Ukraine isn鈥檛 only in Ukraine.